30 January 2014

New moon/little stars

The imminent arrival of the new moon (10:40pm in Italy) is about to officially usher in the Year of the Horse, so Happy Lunar New Year!

For me, the Lunar/Chinese New Year actually feels like a more natural point to make a fresh start than does the traditional western new year. First of all, its date is determined by the moon, whose waxing & ebbing seem to have a definite influence on my own creative cycles. But it probably also has something to do with the fact that I am usually away from home on January 1st; this means the period before & after is spent preparing to go away/being elsewhere (not to mention that the holidays are inherently distracting, even for someone who favors a low-key approach). As a result, I am apt to return home to a fair amount of chaos—not really the best way to begin afresh. And then there is that inevitable list of things still waiting to be finished up from the year just passed. In any case, January is more of a getting-sorted-out month around here.

I must admit that, even
with this second shot at a New Year, I find I am continuing to get
organized. (Traditionally, Florence's new year began on 25 March—maybe that's a more realistic date to aim for.) I still haven't finished sifting through my photos & findings from Sydney (which I will share here at some point). The first image in this post does, however, feature some of my favorite treasures from our visit: a handful of star magnets made by my nephews, ages four & five-&-a-half (& who have been Sydney residents most of their lives). I am using the little clay stars to display one of my PaperSynthesis calendars on a magnetic blackboard, & they make me smile every time I see them. A rare day of brilliant sunshine last weekend really emphasized their lovely textures, so I got out the camera for my first studio photo session in what feels like a very long time.Another subject that got some attention from my camera that day was the mass of Paperwhite bulbs that I had found at the plant market the week before. I will try not to repeat myself, as my passion (some may say obsession) for Paperwhites is already detailed inthis post, but suffice it to say I have been reveling in their presence & delighting in watching the bulbs sprout roots & shoots.

By the end of the sunshiny afternoon, the light had managed to coax the very first flowers to split the spathe (as the sheath covering the buds is called—something I discovered while putting together this entry about daffodils); you can make out the about-to-emerge flowers in a couple of the images below. The sun was so generous & vibrant that day that, in order to be able to work at the studio table, I ended up donning the trilby hat passed on to me by my sister-in-law at the end of our Sydney visit. I liked how it caught the last of the light as it sat on my sketchpad, next to the Paperwhites (third set of images, left).

And now the Paperwhites are flourishing, & full of sweet little white blossoms. Photos to come if the sun returns before they start to fade...though, if not, there will be another chance—in an attempt to hang on to one of my favorite parts of winter, I couldn't resist picking up another cache of Paperwhite bulbs at the plant market today...

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Perhaps I am not as organized as I could be to greet the Year of the Horse, but I have noticed during the last week or
so that I can hardly keep track of all the inspiration & ideas that
have been flooding in—a good sign, I think. (Maybe it has something to do with witnessing the transformation of the bulbs into flowers—such a good energy to be around.) One thing is sure: it's an exciting place to be. Here's hoping you find yourself in exciting places too...

Thanks so much for stopping by for a look, Susan...& for your lovely comments. Seeing this made me remember that I had meant to wander over to your blog to see what you've written about your latest collaboration with Fiona...on my way now!- Lisa

I keep coming over and meaning to comment, but get lost in your amazing photos. Love the light and hope for the year ahead that the greens and bulbs signify...to me at least. Happy 2014 and Year of the Horse!

Here's another horse trotting by! How good to see your beautiful photographs and those promising, elegant paperwhites. I love them too, their flowers always look so fresh and optimistic! I'm sure you'll make the best of the new year, whenever it starts for you. It may even start again and again... Why not?

Ersi ~ It made me smile when I read the words "Here's another horse trotting by!" And I liked the word "optimistic" used in conjunction with the paperwhites...very fitting. True, too, that a year can be full of new beginnings - maybe it actually makes more sense that way.Thanks for visiting...- Lisa

Hi Lisa, Happy New Year, no matter if it begins on January 1st, 30th or March!I did not know that bulbs + water could produce such a fantastic effect! I'll look for some bulbs down here in Brazil and try to see the result. Just have to wait some weeks because it's too too hot (38º C at the end of the afternoon). I found that researchers at Cornell University recommend to add up some vodka or whiskey to the water so the flowers don't fall over. So funny! http://gardening.about.com/od/forcingandprechilling/qt/PaperWhites_Alc.htm Love, Vera

Thanks for the new year wishes, Vera - Happy happy to you & your family too! I imagine 38C feels way too hot, but I must say it sounds good to me at the moment.I also came across the tip to use alcohol to keep the Paperwhites from getting too tall, but the now-very-tall stems really do create a lovely kind of garden effect that I am enjoying on the studio table. A couple have toppled out of their shallow containers & given me a bit of a surprise in the middle of the night though! Let me know if you try it out when winter arrives in Brazil...In the meanwhile, stay cool & enjoy summer!- Lisa

ARZIGOGOLARE is the second incarnation of my original blog, which I began after The Piazzas of Florence was published. As my focus shifted, the blog has evolved to include glimpses into everyday life in Florence + what's happening in my studio & kitchen.